Revealed Through Insanity
by JiHae
Summary: AU - "Look what you made me become. You betrayed me by sleeping with her. You think of me insane... Battousai?" Kaoru spat. The one word struck fear in his heart. How could her insane words speak of his past?
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: **Most unfortunately, Rurouni Kenshin and the characters do not belong to me. Oh well, at least I own the plot.

**Revealed Through Insanity**

By JiHae

**Prologue**

_Fiery crimson silk…_

Empty eyes staring up at the starch white ceiling.

_…Entwined with shiny ebony tresses._

Chest rising and falling slowly.

_Limbs entangled in dark satin sheets._

Wrists restrained in leather bounds. Hands grab ashen sheets with an iron grip – knuckles white, self-control in tact.

_Pleasurable groans and soft giggles.___

Breaths coming out in erratic spasms.

_"Oh, Tomoe."_

_"Oh, Kenshin."___

A low rumble resounded in her throat – the beginning of an ear-piercing scream. She shrieked at the top of her lungs, body jerking in the bed she was bound down to. She shook her head back and forth in a furious tantrum. She continued to screech until her throat became parched.

"Dr. Shinomori! Dr. Shinomori!"

An electrifying pain shot through her body, administered by the sharp end of a needle.

"I hate you," she whispered corrosively to a phantom of her mind.

Icy blue eyes anxiously stared at the girl tied to the bed.

"Kaoru…"

Okay, so that's the end of the prologue. It sounds horrible, doesn't it? [sigh] I tried! After all, it is my first RK fanfic. Questions? Comments? Review please! ^^


	2. Chapter One

**Revealed Through Insanity**

**Chapter One**

**By JiHae**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of these characters.

The morning was slow. The air, still.

Hot.

Suffocating—the air was suffocating. She was choking on her very own breath, and no one was there to save her. Why was nobody there? Why was she alone again?

Kaoru crawled to the door. When was the last time she was on her knees? Ah, yes.

The journey was agonizingly long as she felt the humidity caught in her throat. A strangled cry followed the pounding of her fists against the cool, metal surface. It was nice. It felt nice, this pounding.

"Boom!"

Silence.

"Boom!"

Silence.

"Boom!"

"Help me!" Her voice sounded desperate. It sounded hollow and small. She felt it, too.

In one final effort, she reached for the small, glass window at the top of the door, trying to catch the attention of anyone outside.

Anyone…

Anyone…

"Any—"

The door slammed open against her body. She shuddered from the shock and then laughed. It was funny how she didn't feel a thing. She didn't feel a single thing! Except, she did feel something; what she did feel was the heavy pulsing in the back of her head. And it was annoying her. Slowly, the frantic cries of the nurse became hushed murmurs. And then, a wet sensation trickled down her spine. Her hand reached to touch the nape of her neck. Warm; it was warm. Her eyes glazed over as she rubbed the red residue between her fingers, the pulsing growing steadily louder. Oh yes, this was familiar, very familiar.

"Thump."

"Thump."

"Thump, thump, thump."

"Come in!" Her bangs were in her eyes again. Life was not good. Kaoru let out a strong breath but failed in her attempt to blow away the hair from her eyes. She heard the door slightly creak open but refused to pay it any attention. Her bangs were of utmost importance at the present moment.

"You wonder why I adore you so much, but how can I not when you make me laugh like this?" Calloused fingers tucked the dark strands of hair behind her ear as a deep chuckle tickled her auditory senses. She loved his laugh. It was rich and deep and comforting. But most importantly, it eased her nerves. Yes, his laugh was a clear manifestation of him. She couldn't help but smile. "So are you going to get out of bed any time soon?"

Kaoru tossed a pillow at his head and childishly stuck out her tongue. She couldn't help it. She was in a playful mood.

"I'll take that as a no," he laughed, "Well then, what will my princess like for breakfast this morning?"

"Kenshin, you know whatever you cook is fine with me, as long as you're doing the cooking. And need I remind you? I'd like to strongly put emphasis on the "you." I seem to burn anything I touch."

"Oh, I know. I speak from personal experience." He kissed her roughly, "You set me on fire every time."

She broke away from the kiss, laughing hysterically. "Oh gosh, that wasn't even good. Since when did you become so corny?"

"Since I learned it made you laugh; whatever it takes to see you smile." She looked at him hard, taking snapshots of the moment. "I'll be back in fifteen minutes with your food."

Kaoru pulled the blankets over her head and closed her eyes to catch a few more moments of sleep. Only too soon her stomach gave a ferocious growl. "Traitor." She could smell the hot pancakes and the pungent aroma of roasted coffee beans. "Kenshin! Hurry! The food smells delicious!"

She closed her eyes and took a long whiff but opened them once she felt a weight in her lap.

"Here, Kaoru. Enjoy your breakfast: pancakes with maple syrup, scrambled eggs, some melon, and a glass of orange juice." She could only stare at the tray of food, all neatly arranged in disposable containers. Since when did Kenshin use disposable plates and utensils for her meals? Maybe it was the moment he realized she was just as easy to throw away as the Styrofoam flatware. "And would you like to explain to me who this Kenshin is?"

Kaoru lifted her eyes from the food and silently observed the man standing by her bedside. He was tall, much taller than Kenshin, with dark hair in a stylish coiffure. His bangs were long and hid most of his gaze, but she could clearly see the blue eyes piercing through her, dissecting and studying her every move. It was frightening to experience the receiving end of such a look, especially from eyes as cold as his.

"Ice," she whispered softly to herself. Her eyes were often described as a summer's sky blue—warm and soft.

He shifted his weight from his left foot to his right. "Excuse me, what was that?"

She could easily sense his tension as well as the forced effort to keep a friendly disposition. She continued her study of the man, mentally checking off a list of typical characteristics of a man of his profession. "Clip board? Check. Stethoscope? Check. Crazy pills in front breast pocket? Check. Long, white lab coat? Check. Hmm, it suits him very well, but maybe something darker." Kaoru finally cleared her throat and pushed the portable table away from her bed. "I'm not hungry."

Aoshi stared incredulously at the young woman who was currently shifting in her bed to return to sleep. That was all she had to say after moments of silence? It was possible that she didn't hear him correctly the first time. He walked to the other side of the bed, seeing that her back was turned to him. "Mrs. Himura, I don't think—"

"Don't call me that," she mumbled underneath her covers.

"What? I can't quite hear you with the sheets over your head."

Kaoru sat up exasperated with the man who was clearly her newly assigned doctor. "I said, 'Don't call me that.' Was that coherent enough for you? And you know what? You're right. You _don't_ think because if you _did_ think, you would know that you should have reviewed my chart more thoroughly before even stepping in this room. Didn't the other doctors write notes about how insane I get when I even hear that name? Didn't they warn you of my volatile behavior or did you want to try and play the Knight in Shining Armor to save a poor damsel in distress like me?" Kaoru let out a strong breath to try and blow her bangs out of her eyes. They were in the way again. After a few more attempts, she gave up with a sense of humiliated defeat. "Now, if you're done with whatever it is that you were here to do, please leave so I can go back to sleep. My head is still pounding from earlier. And leave my crazy pills on the nightstand. I'll take them when I wake up."

"Listen, Mrs.—"

"Kaoru. Just call me Kaoru. I'm not a missus, not anymore." She could still taste the bitterness on her tongue.

"Fine. Kaoru, whatever ill sentiments you have for whoever it is should remain directed towards that person. I refuse to be back lashed because of your immature approach to dealing with your personal issues. I'm here to help you, whether you and I like it or not. And these pills are not for you. They're for me, for having to deal with difficult patients such as you. I don't think I've ever had this much to say." Aoshi rubbed his temples. He could feel the premature signs of a growing headache and since meditation was out of the question during his shift, he resorted to the next best thing. He grabbed the glass of orange juice on Kaoru's tray and popped the pills into his mouth. Hopefully, the medication would last until he finished with his last patient, who he quickly determined to be very cantankerous.

A raucous laugh filled the room. Today proved to be a very amusing day. Kaoru couldn't contain her laughter. This new doctor was just too comical! She calmed down, wiped the tears of mirth from her eyes, and gave the stone-faced doctor a warm smile. She hadn't smiled like that in what felt like an eternity. "Thank you, and I'm sorry. I don't mean to be this disagreeable. I'm just… sorry. I'll try to keep my resentment at bay… at least around you. Some of the other doctors here are just too full of themselves with 'PhD this' and 'Ivy League that.' I don't think they understand what true accomplishments are. I'm hoping you aren't like them?"

Aoshi grabbed a chair that was set against the wall, next to the door. He pulled himself close to the bed. "No," was his simple reply. He felt relaxed and more comfortable now that his usual taciturn persona returned. It made him slightly uneasy to recall how easily this woman made him lose his control.

"Well, then, good! Can we start over?" He gave an affirmative nod. "Okay. My name is Kaoru _Kamiya_," she emphasized. She was a Himura no longer. She extended her hand to the doctor for a proper handshake.

"Dr. Aoshi Shinomori," he introduced. He grabbed her hand in a friendly gesture. Her hand was so small in his, he realized. It was soft and delicate, almost too fragile, but then he felt the rough calluses on her palm and fingertips. It was such an odd juxtaposition of textures, comparable to the odd combination of traits that composed the personality of this fiery woman. Bitter one instant, sweet the next. She was bewildering.

Without a doubt, Kaoru Kamiya would be the most interesting case he has ever taken.

2006.07.07


End file.
